Background: Colic is a common condition in infants <4 months of age. Attempts to treat infantile colic with probiotics have shown variable efficacy and overall low evidence of success. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that oral administration of Bifidobacterium longum CECT7894 (KABP042) and Pediococcus pentosaceus CECT8330 (KABP041) mix (1 × 10⁹ colony forming units) would improve the symptoms of infantile colic.Methods: A total of 112 exclusively breastfed or mixed fed infants aged <2 months and meeting the ROME IV criteria for infantile colic were recruited. The infants were randomized in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to receive orally administered probiotics (intervention group, IG, n = 48) or placebo (placebo group, PG, n = 42) daily for 21 days.Results: Infants in the IG had significantly shorter crying time (p < 0.001) on day 7 [IG vs. PG, median (25−75th percentile): 38 (3.5–40.5) vs. 62 (40–108) min/day], day 14 [IG vs. PG: 20 (0–40) vs. 50 (30–75) min/day], and day 21 [IG vs. PG: 14 (0–33) vs. 40 (28–62) min/day]. Higher responder ratio and fewer crying/fussing episodes on days 7, 14, and 21 and better stool consistency on day 21 were observed in the IG (p < 0.01) as compared to the PG. Conversely, no significant effects on stool frequency or quality of life were observed.Conclusions: In summary, daily oral administration of B. longum CECT7894 (KABP042) and P. pentosaceus CECT8330 (KABP041) was an effective treatment for shortening crying time due to infantile colic and for improving fecal consistency. This trial was registered retrospectively in December 2019 with a trial number of ISRCTN92431452.

Acute diarrhoea continues to be a leading cause of morbidity, hospitalisation, and mortality worldwide, and probiotics have been proposed as a complementary therapy in the treatment of acute diarrhoea. The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of three combined probiotic strains, Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07, Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, as an adjunct to rehydration therapy in treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in hospitalised children. Eligible diarrheal children were randomised into intervention group (IG, n=96, conventional treatment for diarrhoea in combination with probiotics) and control group (CG, n=98, conventional treatment for diarrhoea without probiotics). The primary assessments of this study were duration of diarrhoea and hospital stay and improvement in diarrhoea symptoms. Significantly more children in the IG showed improvements in diarrhoea (defined as a decrease of stool frequency to no more than four times per day and an improved stool consistency within 24-48 h after the treatment) than those in the CG (96.9 vs 79.6%, P<0.05). Children supplemented with the mixed strains had a 22.5 h shorter (121.4±13.7 h vs 143.9±19.8 h) mean duration of diarrhoea and 1.2 d shorter hospital stays (5.1±1.2 d vs 6.3±1.4 d) than children only receiving the rehydration therapy (P<0.05). The prevalence of constipation of children in the IG (3.1%) was markedly lower (P<0.05) than that of children in the CG (13.3%) after treatment. In conclusion, the mixture of three probiotic strains given to children aged 1-3 years resulted in shorter durations of diarrhoea and hospitalisation and a higher percentage of improved children.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that is primarily characterized by deficits in social interaction, impaired communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors. The prevalence of ASD has been steadily increasing, establishing it as one of the leading causes of disability among children worldwide. Although the precise pathogenesis of ASD remains unclear, factors such as genetic predisposition, environmental exposures, immune dysregulation, and neurodevelopmental abnormalities are collectively believed to contribute to its onset. In recent years, the gut microbiota has emerged as a promising area of research in neurobiology, particularly in relation to advances in understanding the microbiota–gut–brain axis (MGBA) mechanism. Studies have shown that children with ASD exhibit significant dysbiosis in their gut microbiota, which may affect brain function via the MGBA, ultimately leading to abnormal behaviors and impaired emotional regulation. This review summarizes the role of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of ASD, examining how alterations in gut permeability, dysregulated microbial metabolites, and immune dysfunction may influence ASD symptomatology. In particular, the role of the MGBA in modulating immune-inflammatory responses, neurodevelopment, and behavioral regulation has become a focal point of ASD research. Building on this foundation, the review further summarizes dietary intervention strategies grounded in the MGBA theory, emphasizing their potential to restore gut microbial composition, modulate immune responses, and enhance metabolic function, thereby offering novel therapeutic perspectives for ASD.